![Ciara Duncan](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Ciara-e1614014948707-900x900.jpg)
Ciara Duncan, Features Editor
![Weight gain over quarantine should be something that is celebrated rather than shamed because everyone needs to be a little nicer to themselves during such a rough and confusing time in the world.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/unnamed-1.jpg)
Opinion: The quarantine 15
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![Ciara Duncan](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_7541-e1620653842103-900x571.jpeg)
Ciara Duncan
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![Not every student becomes valedictorian or gets a full-ride scholarship to the school of their choice. Students who fly under the radar, though, still have a stories to tell, and still cherish their memories at MCHS.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/unnamed-copy-e1620667517558-900x594.jpg)
Under the radar
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![Ciara Duncan poses with her collection of Squishmallows, which have become rarer as they've become more and more collectable.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/unnamed-3-e1620059616406-900x618.jpg)
Essay: Searching for Squishmallows
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![Throughout the pandemic, teachers have had to shift their practices many times between asynchronous remote learning, synchronous remote learning, and various hybrid learning models. This has been difficult for them as well as their students, but all of them have persevered and grown.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/unnamed-2-1-900x600.jpg)
The teacher becomes the student
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![Freshman Daniel Thomas stands outside of West Campus with his Greentastic climate agreement. Thomas penned the agreement with environmental club in an attempt to make a positive change at MCHS.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMG_6293-900x600.jpg)
Making the world a greener place
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![Dr. Jeff Prickett has been the principal of East Campus since 2017, and changed the culture of the building in many ways. Pricket will continue to put relationships at the forefront as he becomes the principal of both the upper and lower campuses starting during the 2021-22 school year.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FA7C3E8B-093A-41CC-BD02-69A3F6F402F4-900x900.jpg)
Defining greatness
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![District 156 sent out an email in late January explaining that the district will no longer alert parents or students when there is a new Covid case on either campus.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/IMG_5571-900x675.jpg)
MCHS stops sending COVID case email alerts
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![The mix of remote and hybrid learning models has created new challenges for students who are still stuck at home.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/IMG_5425_jpg-900x675.jpg)
Opinion: Don’t forget remote students
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![Right now, Illinois restaurants and bars are supposed to be closed to indoor dining. Though this helps stop the spread of COVID-19, it unfairly punishes the small business who should not have to bear the brunt of the pandemic.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/photo-1506808920302-dbd52f54c217-900x604.jpeg)
Opinion: Don’t punish local businesses
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![A food service worker helps a driver load lunches to be delivered to MCHS students outside of West Campus on November 20.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/DSC_0600-900x600.jpg)
Comfort food
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![Weeks after the 2020 election—and after Democratic candidate Joe Biden was announced the winner of the presidential race—political signs still adorn neighborhoods throughout McHenry.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/80CA2440-4D7D-4A06-9188-AA7B202EAF5B-900x587.jpeg)
Essay: Defending democracy
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![This fall's new fashionable trends include Victorian-inspired clothing, more fashionable menswear, 90s inspired plaid and tartan, and capes.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/fall-fashion-900x676.jpg)
Looking good, feeling good
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![Though online learning isn't ideal, many students have found that the flexibility offered by digital learning can make learning a lot easier.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/online-learning-left-e1586872775809-900x694.jpg)
Pro: Online learning offers flexibility
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![Lauren Horrocks, an ER nurse at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, wears a mask and extra protection as the hospital makes preparations for COVID-19 testing and treatment.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/image0-900x540.jpeg)
At the frontline of coronavirus
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![After playing on boys teams for several seasons, which was not always accommodating, Wirth joined the Glen Ellyn Admirals, an all-girls hockey team.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Elle-Hockey-900x600.jpg)
Wirth it
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![Leanna Anderson helps MCHS student at her IT help desk on January 7. She spends her time in the library solving student’s technology problems.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IMG_0640-900x600.jpg)
Keeping the machine running
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![Gisselle Sandoval discusses the role race plays in her life. High school is a battle in its own, but the addition of being a minority makes it more difficult.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_1617-900x600.jpg)
Seeing color
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![Record numbers of students packed West Campus's gym for during this year's Homecoming dance on October 12.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/sps_0013_1430305-900x600.jpg)
Homecoming dance breaks attendance record
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![Though being a foreign exchange student has kept Leproni busy, he misses the little things back at his home in Italy.](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/flimstrip-900x600.jpg)
New face in a new place
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![Review: Blink-182's 'NINE'](https://themchenrymessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/blink-182-nine-900x900.jpg)
Review: Blink-182’s ‘NINE’
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